Caring for each Other- Social Justice sub committee

‘… the time has come to dream as a single human family in which we are all brothers and sisters.’ Fratelli Tutti Pope Francis 2020

Areas of Engagement:

• Refugees and Asylum seekers  
• The Environment
• Those in need including the poor and marginalised, the homeless and the elderly in our community, our country and our world.
• Victims of torture and unjust imprisonment (affiliated with ACAT)
• Equality and Justice for Women in the Catholic Church affiliated with the Catholic Women’s Council (CWC)

1. Refugees and Asylum Seekers:

‘Complex challenges arise when our neighbour happens to be an immigrant.[109] Ideally, unnecessary migration ought to be avoided; this entails creating in countries of origin the conditions needed for a dignified life and integral development. Yet until substantial progress is made in achieving this goal, we are obliged to respect the right of all individuals to find a place that meets their basic needs and those of their families, and where they can find personal fulfilment. Our response to the arrival of migrating persons can be summarized by four words: welcome, protect, promote and integrate. For “it is not a case of implementing welfare programmes from the top down, but rather of undertaking a journey together, through these four actions, in order to build cities and countries that, while preserving their respective cultural and religious identity, are open to differences and know how to promote them in the spirit of human fraternity” ‘ Fratelli Tutti Pope Francis 2020

To find out how you might aid our ongoing efforts to help refugees and asylum seekers or see annual reports on our activities please go to: https://catholic.lu/outreach/refugee-aid/

We participate in Reech eng Hand meetings which focus on these issues withing the dioceses. 

• The Environment:

‘To care for the world in which we live means to care for ourselves. Yet we need to think of ourselves more and more as a single-family dwelling in a common home. Such care does not interest those economic powers that demand quick profits. Often the voices raised in defense of the environment are silenced or ridiculed, using apparently reasonable arguments that are merely a screen for special interests. In this shallow, short-sighted culture that we have created, bereft of a shared vision, “it is foreseeable that, once certain resources have been depleted, the scene will be set for new wars, albeit under the guise of noble claims”. Fratelli Tutti Pope Francis 2020 

To find out more about our activities in relation to the protection of our environment please go to the webpage Laudato Si on this website. https://catholic.lu/outreach/laudato-si-group/

• Those in Need in our community and elsewhere

We respond to need in our community and elsewhere as need arises or as we are made aware of it. 

• Victims of Torture or Unjust Imprisonment

All Christians and people of good will are today called to work not only for the abolition of the death penalty, legal or illegal, in all its forms, but also to work for the improvement of prison conditions, out of respect for the human dignity of persons deprived of their freedom. I would link this to life imprisonment… A life sentence is a secret death penalty”. Fratelli Tutti Pope Francis 2020

We are affiliated with the Luxembourg branch of ACAT (Action Christians Against Torture) and support their various initiatives including organizing the annual prayer service in our community for victims of torture, unjust incarceration and the death penalty

• Equality and Justice for Women in the Catholic Church

‘Similarly, the organization of societies worldwide is still far from reflecting clearly that women possess the same dignity and identical rights as men. We say one thing with words, but our decisions and reality tell another story. Indeed, “doubly poor are those women who endure situations of exclusion, mistreatment and violence, since they are frequently less able to defend their rights”.  Fratelli Tutti Pope Francis 2020 

We are committed to the cause of justice and equality for women within the institution of the Catholic Church. We call for full inclusion and equality across all levels of the organised church and in all Vatican departments.  We are affiliated with the Catholic Women’s Council.  Learn more about the CWC here.

To mark World Women’s Day 2023 the articles below make interesting and thought provoking reading. Please click on the headings to explore further:

1. Synodal Process- Prague Assembly – with reference to the Luxembourg submission
2. Pope Francis speaks on women in the ordained ministry
3. Women and Ministry (In French)

REPORT FROM THE CHURCH HALL MEETING IS available to download by clicking on the link below. The agenda was: A post-Covid world; what changes do you want to see? You will find below a selection of articles and talks which you may find thought provoking.

adding-value-to-capitalism

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/mar/21/research-working-from-home

http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/audiences/2020/documents/papa-francesco_20200826_udienza-generale.html

Click to access The-Forgetting-and-Getting-of-Wisdom-130321.pdf